Lifting and conveying apparatus



Decn 9 l J. J. DAVIS v LIFTING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 22 1925 INVENI'OR:

. Jfforn 9 Patented Dec. 14,1926.

' "Lrrrme Ann commmes m m s;

' hpplicationfiled December 224.1925. ser1'a1;n ..7e, 7o;

such as "glass-sheets,"metal-sheets' 017 other materials having'at least one flat and smooth surface.

, The primary "object or this-inve tion is to provide a lifting apparatus adapted for lifting, by meanso-f Vacuum operated lift?- ing means sheets of steel, glass or other ma terials which vrequire careful handling to prevent scratching or; otherwise' mar'ring i said materials when transported frorn 'one 7 ject' of this invention, is vtoprovide vmeans place to another; or when being stacked into piles 111 shops or warehouses. Another'ob wherebysaid materials may be quickly released from the lifting apparatusv by 'meansj of a unitary releasing means," A; further object is, to provide an apparatus compris-- 9 ing a'plurality of. vacuum-cups which may be applied vto the goods to bje'lifted simul-.

taneously and by means of the weight jprope Additional features and advantages of thisiinvention will (ap-V pear from 'the following description con:

'er' of saidapparatus.

sidered in connection with the-eaccompany'e ing drawing forming a part of this'" application and in which v Figjlis a top plan view of a lifting ape paratus built according to my invention and adapted to lift sheets of steel' or glass of large size." H H a i a rsheetrtoiiat n l QI l O.; h a tion Fig.2 is a side elevationof'Fig; 1;. f of the atmosphericpressure and theyframe, Fig; Sis affrontLelevation ofllig. 1. with llefishee may e transpor df gf he Fig. {l is an enlarged section through a a l 513011110116 p aceto'another OI-IB-WherethGf suction cup, taken on line H iril iigj; sheetiiszto e eposited. 's I g V V Fig. 5 .is'a'view showing a modification In'zorder tofprevent?any accident in th ei ofithe :suction cupused in my liftinggappaunloadingofasheet; the -latter amust'v before- I ratusi v p 7 6 shows a lifting device provided with a single lifting cup and adapted "espee' ciallyto lilft small sheets; plates, T or small barrels having flat and smoothuends".

Reference being' had to thedrawm'g', the

liftingfandphandling of goods bythe appar ratus'is'performed by means of -vacuum- I cups,'-the number and-size of whlch s dew termined"by"-the'weight' and size of the sheet-like goods which are tobe handled.

Ajs-sh o wn in Fig. l,'especially, the'preferred" constructionof 'the vacuum-cups comprises a shell 1 of rubber having'substantiallythe shape of a 'sp'herical 'segment"and :provided With lane'upwarclly directed: circularflange} i 2 and with a central hub 3-in which a cylin-' '1 drica-l,clepressionlfliis formedgto receive the, spherical end ,5; of thelifting-rod,6;".which' is mounted for se mon sliding"v movement:

in" aigguide bloclii sejcuredlon the under-,

side of zthe -fra 1 11e:bi&1 8 whichsis-alsosuit-- ably. aperture d to act'as an additional guide? for said lifting-rod; c The} upper "end? 9 zoff h a er'iis1threadedand; protrudes above: the fr'ame;bar CO BRgQgG coil spring' l0:

whi h; i le-inse te we n Q washers 1v 11 and, 12. and. theht'ension of .whichmay be; r regulated. and 1naintained,bymeans 'ofgthe 7n.

nut 13' and the vlock-"nut 14. The vacuum 11) ssecured on 'the ,l ft 1g-r0cl by, means; of the clamping? device 15 V which is suit:

ably V placed jaboveqthe spherical portion or -he:=lifti g- Odl to ,l nable; he c p, o k about: said portion in all directions, the put? pose of this being to enable the vacuum-cup o adjust itself more, readily oa h'e surfa of thekmaterial to be lifted.- l

The; numerous vacuum-fcups required to ift; large h' e ofi na erial" are mou ted 1 nd .exie l yi 1, istrib ed? 1111 1 1 ev y igid; frame 16 consi ing; OfitheI .framear ;.-8, and Y the ros sbar 1.7

Lhe we gh f. lii jvfr me b ffici n v gr atxt cause t e. c l-1 lapse of allvith vaQ u ups. ivth n b ug t: to: resti p n;the u o hatthi ays s xpelled II f m, said p im an o sly;

The va uum. re tedgiul le t e mp1scause -1 time: This is achieved in my invention by; means of; the .-following'gmechanism Ad- Ijacent each vacuum-cupltherej is provided; a finger; or dog, 18- hingedly imountedfin 1 a support 'l9flsecurefd on' the; underside] of "thelframe 1,6. 'The lowerend-6f;e'ach;;fin

gen iszprovidedrwith a, protuberance, or nose, 20 adapted to :engage the. imclerside: of, the

flange 25a'ndlifttherlatter a sufficient amount 105 to enablethe.'air to enter-thecup andj-breakj the vacuum. v

leased from all thes'uctiOn-cupS at theisame;

which is suitably guided for sliding movement in the brackets 22, also secured; on the under-sideof the frame 16.

The simultaneous operation of. the various push-rods of the lifting'device is performed by means of an operating-lever 23 secured at the, end of the operating-shaft 24,

mounted for rotation in the b8&1l11g-S11P- ports 25 and 26 securedin anydeslred manner on the front cross-bar of the frame.

. Upon this shaft are keyed, or otherwise fastened, the levers 27 the lower ends 28 I a of which: are forked and; connected to the forward ends of their correspondingpushrods, by meansof the pin and slot connections '29. A similar connection 30 .1 is

I also shown to connect the various dogs to their common pushrod. The operating lever 23 is normally held in the neutral, or

horizontal, position shown in Fig.2 by means of any desired and suitable device,

' such as the coil-spring3l surrounding the operating-shaft and having one end secured thereto Whereas the other end bears'against the front cross-bar. The complete apparatus, is moved from one place to another by means of a crane, or other lifting apparatus, to which it is attached by means of chains or cables which are connected to suitable hooks 32 provided at the-. four corners of :the'apparatus.

' Thepurpose of the coil-springs 10 around the lifting-rods 6-of the vacuum-cups is toprevent any sudden jars on'the latter at the time when theframe with a suspended sheet of material is just being lifted, This feature is especially helpful in caseswhen the lifting of the frameat the four corners is-notfexactly equal so that the frame assumes-a somewhat inclined position.- The strength of the springs'is so proportioned that they ;will give a. sufficient amount to thus 'maintain the sheet in overcome any such-difference of level and ment with the suction cups.- 1 I -In' the modified construction shown in F ig. 5, the vacuum-cup 33 is provided with several lugs 34:, instead of the circular flange 2, for reasons of economy in the rubber.

material and to give the vacuum-cup greaterv flexibility around the edge. This.construct1on, however, .requ1res a fixed relation be-.

tweenthe cup and the dogs,'which is not necessary with the full circularflange, as;

will bereadily understood. v V, a When applied to small goods of ratherreduced weight, such as small metal barrels or tin containers, anapparatus with a single vacuum-cupmaybe found satisfactory; inv

Fig. 6 is illustrated such a device which consists'ofthe vacuum-cup 35, of similar design as shown in Fig. 5, and which .is rockably 'com'iected by means of the spherical joint 36 to the lower endv of the'lifting-rod 37 which carries atits topthe lifting-eye 38,

proper engage by means of which the device may be lifted by a crane. Thesize of the pear-shaped weight 39 is such that it will collapse the vacuum-cup to drive out the air therefrom. The vacuum in the cup is'brokenby pulling on the chain l0 secured at one endto the .weight and at'the otherend to one'of the lugs 41. The initial lifting jars are .absorbed by the coil-spring 4-2 placedaround the lifting-rodbetween the weight and'the lifting eye;-- a I V in order to relieve the vacuum-cups of the weight of the apparatus when not in useand stored away, I provide adj acenteach corner of the frame the-legs which are hingedly mounted on pins a4 and which are made lon enough to enable the vacuum-cups to clear the floor when the framerests on'said legs.

lV hen the apparatus is in use, the legs may be quickly folded up, out of. the Way, in the 1 position shown in dot'and" dash lines inFig; 2. The legs are maintained in the selected position'by means'of pins .45 insertabl in suitable registering apertures 46 and a7 pro vided in the legs and frame respectively.

Having described the principal parts of my invention, itsoperation'will be readily understood and may be succinctly stated as follows :Asuming that sheetsof steel, as

they'come from the rolling-mills, are to be e stacked up into piles, the lifting apparatus is brought over each individual sheet by means of a'crane and then dropped slowly over the sheet so that the weight of-the frame of the apparatus will cause all the vacuum-cups to collapse, thus expelling the air therefrom. The complete apparatus with the suspended sheet is now gliftedand transferred bythecrane to the place of stacking and lowered close to the .pile. of sheets, after which the workmanpulls' the operating-lever pended claims. 1

LIn a lifting apparatus, a plurality of resilient vacuum-cups; a unitary frame therefor. of sufficient weightto cause the collapse of said cups when resting thereon-to, form a vacuum thereunden and lever operated stood, of'icourse, that the 7 means to break said vacuum under said cups by temporarily lifting a part of the circumference thereof. V V i r 2. In a. lifting'apparatus, a plurality of ,a break said vacuumnnder said cups simulresilient vacuum-cups; I a unitary frame therefor of sufficient weight to cause the collapse of said, cups when resting thereon to form-a vacuum thereunder, and lever operated means to break said vacuum under said cups by simultaneously lifting a part of the circumference thereof. V

3. In a lifting apparatus, the combination of a plurality of resilient vacuum cups; a unitary frame therefor of sufficient Weight to cause the collapse of said Cups When rest-T mgthereon co form a vacuumthereunder;

additional means for supporting said frame independentlyfof said vacuum-cups, and

l'eyeroperated'means for breaking said vacuum" under said cups by temporarily lifting a part of the circumference-thereof.

4. In a lifting apparatus, the combination of a plurality of resilient vacurimwups; a unitary frame therefor of sufficient welght to cause the collapse 0f sa1d cups when rest ing thereon toJ-form a vacuum thereunder;

additional foldable means. for supporting. I said frame independently of sa1d'yacuurn-L eups, and unitary lever operated meansto taneously. bytemporarilylifting a part o' f the circumference thereof.

5. In a lifting apparatus, the combination 7 ofa plurality of resilient vacuum-cups; a unitary frame therefor of sufficient Weight to cause the collapse ofsaidjcups When'resting thereon to form a vacuum thereunder a hinged dog" positioned adjacent each of said vacuum-cups and unitary means tocause said "dogs to simultaneously and temporarily lifta part of the circui'nference of said. cups to break the vacuum thereunder.

{,6. In" a" lifting apparatus, the combination of a; plurality of resilient vacuum cups;

Said -dogs to simultaneously" anditernporarlly lift a part of the circumference of said cups to break the: vacuum thereunder, and

means to return said lever into normal orin active pos t on. Y

p In testimony whereof afiix my signature 7 JAYJ; :oAvrsh 

